The development of different media has given birth to a number of new communities, interests, and methods to keep in contact with friends, family, loved ones and supports. However, media can be a very difficult thing to manage, as social media is often simultaneously an incredibly useful tool to keep in close contact with supportive individuals while also being an immense source of stress. Monitoring the use of media outlets can be critical through recovery from traumatic experiences or addiction, and this monitoring comes in two different forms — monitoring time engaged, as well as the kinds of media used.
Monitoring the Kind of Media Used
Different media can have different effects on each person. While some video games or movies may make great tools through media therapy, other venues may not hold as much therapeutic value through the recovery process. This can be especially pertinent in one’s ingesting of various news outlets. While staying informed about one’s world is important, news outlets, as well as even certain individuals who frequently post on Facebook or Twitter, can carry a very negative slant or only be reporting on disasters without recognizing all of the good that is going on in the world, as well. This can create an illusion that there are an exorbitant, overwhelming amount of negative aspects in the world with very little hope to counteract the disaster. For those in recovery, this kind of view can be devastating, isolating, and can even compromise one’s motivation to continue through recovery at all. Monitoring the kinds of venues used when engaging with media means that a person may have to cut certain outlets, types of programming, or even people, from their days or social media feeds.
Monitoring Time
Too much use of media can also cause its own share of issues. Social media as a tool doesn’t mean that a person should wholly replace their own social interactions with online conversations, and an overreliance on social media as a communication tool can actually end up creating its own barriers. Online cultures and norms are very different, especially if an individual is protected and emboldened by an anonymous online alias. This can lead to a number of very drastic views or the lack of a filter over what would normally be considered very unacceptable social practices. Monitoring one’s time on social media means using such media always with intent, and not out of boredom. If there is a message that a person is expecting or needs to send, these tools can be very beneficial. However, simply scrolling through media can have a negative effect, either through excessive exposure to negative influences or by causing a person in recovery to make unfair comparisons between their life and someone else’s.
Different media outlets can all have different effects on a person in recovery from trauma or addiction. Learning how to manage your use of media can turn potentially detrimental use into an understanding of how to use media to one’s advantage. Furthermore, it can enable you to avoid the negative aspects that social media or television may bring. Monitoring your use of media can be the first step towards stabilizing your own world view. To learn more about the effects of media in your recovery and how we can personalize your time with us to fit your needs and goals in recovery, call us today at (855) 483-7800.